At Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com,
we provide real world tips that help professional truck drivers save
hard-earned money and personal reporting about products and services
for use on the road.

Did you know
that our site is not just
about what we have found works for us?

That's right. If you as a professional truck
driver have a great money saving tip, please share it on our
site. It's a two-way street that we describe as:

Get
and share
great money saving tips
for truck drivers right here.

With your help, we're looking to expand our website to
provide money saving information on lots of different topics,
information that provides tangible value to you and
other professional drivers everywhere.

As a service to you, we have completed the reviews
listed below since our last newsletter.

Please be aware that we perform reviews based on our own
personal set of expectations. We fully recognize that what one driver
expects, another may not and vice versa. If you, as a professional
driver, disagree with a review,
please feel free to submit one of your own.

Below are the "bloglets" (from newest to oldest) we have
published on our Truckers'
Savings Blog since our last email newsletter. They contain
the titles and snippets of articles together with links to the original
sources so that you can learn more. Each of these entries was
originally accompanied by a link so that readers could read the entire
article. (To get the link, subscribe to our news feed to get bloglets
as they are sent.)

Through this blog, we send news about opportunities for
saving money or getting rebates; share articles revealing how drivers
saved money or lost money (as examples to learn from); and alert
drivers to situations to be aware of that could cost them money.

Wyoming newspaper poll: Toll the truckers

According to a newspaper poll in Wyoming, out-of-state truckers should
be forced to pay a toll to drive on Interstate 80. OOIDA leadership
says the poll indicates the amount of misinformation out there in
regard to the taxes that truckers already pay. ... "To a larger degree,
politicians are also in the dark about the extent to which truckers -
even out-of-state truckers - contribute to states' highway revenues
even when they're not base-plated in that particular state." [OOIDA
Director of Legislative Affairs Mike] Joyce said interstate truckers
pay state fuel taxes on every mile that they run in each state. ...

Truck group rolls out tanker safety vid

The American Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has
just released an extremely engaging and helpful 10-minute video about
how to avoid cargo-tank rollovers. ...

Aluminum Use on Trucks Can Result in Payload,
Fuel Savings

Switching to high strength, low weight aluminum in Class 8 trucks and
trailers can eliminate 3,300 pounds from the vehicle weight and save as
much as 1,612 gallons of fuel and 17.9 tons of carbon dioxide per year,
according to a report released by Ricardo Inc. If this were applied to
the U.S.'s two million Class 8 vehicles on the roads, this could save 1
billion gallons of diesel and 10 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.
... In addition to the impact of weight savings alone, the study
analyzed the combination of weight savings and aerodynamic drag
reduction. When combining the weight reduction potential available with
an 8 percent improvement in aerodynamic drag, the overall fuel economy
improvement for an aluminum-intense vehicle relative to the
conventional vehicle was as high as 8.2 percent. ...

Truck toll would be $20 or more to cross I-95
bridge

The governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey say the replacement of the
Scudder Falls Bridge on Interstate 95 will be a public-private
partnership and will carry tolls of $4 per axle for commercial
vehicles. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and New Jersey Gov. Chris
Christie announced Friday, July 30, that the two states are pursuing
the first ever multistate public-private partnership for a bridge. As
the plan is laid out, a five-axle truck would be charged $20 while
passenger vehicles would be charged between $1 and $2. All of this
stands to play out on a bridge that is not currently tolled, which is
sure to attract opposition. To add fuel to the opponents' fire, a
spokesman for Rendell told Land Line Now on Wednesday that the states
and the local bridge authority are proceeding with the project and do
not require tolling authority from the Federal Highway Administration.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is calling the toll
scheme "seriously misguided." ...

Panel says tolls 'essential' for I-5 bridge

A panel appointed by the governors of Washington and Oregon says
tolling is "essential" to the success of a proposed Columbia River
bridge linking the two states on Interstate 5. The public has a chance
to comment on the proposal during a meeting scheduled for Thursday,
Aug. 5. This is a project that officials say could require the existing
I-5 bridge linking Vancouver and Portland to be tolled to help fund the
$3 billion to $4 billion replacement bridge. Officials have also
suggested tolls on the existing I-205 bridge as a way to capture more
revenue by eliminating a toll-free alternative. ...

TravelCenters Upgrades Truckstop Showers

TravelCenters of America has recently renovated driver showers at its
TA and Petro Shopping Center locations with new amenities. TA and Petro
showers now have new adjustable shower heads with improved water spray,
new cloth floor mats, new liquid soap and shampoo dispensers, decor
baskets, large signature orange towels and other amenities. ... To
review a truck stop shower, complete and submit the form on:
http://www.truck-drivers-money-saving-tips.com/truck-stop-shower.html

The True Costs of Congestion

Truckload carrier Jet Express hauls dedicated, closed-loop freight, and
has to give customers updates on delivery times every two hours. If Jet
Express doesn't communicate with customers on a late shipment, the
company has to shell out $15,000 for every 15 minutes of lateness - or
$60,000 per hour, says President Kevin Burch. ... In addition to the
costs associated with a late delivery, a truck stuck in a congested
bottleneck or an urban area can take a toll in other ways. For one,
fleets have to deal with the additional fuel costs that add up from
trucks idling in traffic. The Texas Transportation Institute estimated
that in 2007, passenger cars and trucks wasted about 2.8 billion
gallons of fuel, enough to fill 56 super-tankers. Carriers also lose
out on productive labor time, as drivers are also sitting idle on the
road waiting for traffic to clear up. TTI says overall, congestion
costs the country 4.2 billion hours of work time, or nearly one full
work week for every traveler per year. Add up all wasted fuel and lost
productivity, and congestion cost the nation $87.2 billion in 2007
alone. Darrin Roth, director of highway operations for ATA, says the
trucking industry alone loses about $19 billion a year in fuel,
equipment expenses and labor efficiency related to congestion.
According to ATA's research arm, the American Transportation Research
Institute, the total cost of running a truck is $83.68 per hour, or
$1.73 per mile. Top costs include diesel fuel/oil, driver wages and
truck/trailer lease or purchase payments. When a truck is stuck in
traffic, these costs can add up. ...

Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls to increase

For the third time since January 2009, toll rates on the Pennsylvania
Turnpike are going up to meet the demands of a state law that allows
the money to be diverted to mass transit and other projects. Truckers
with E-ZPass will pay 3 percent more while cash customers will see
their rates jump 10 percent. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission voted
for the increases earlier this week, which take effect Jan. 2, 2011.
The current toll for a truck weighing 60,000 to 80,000 pounds traveling
the full 357 miles from Ohio to New Jersey is $137.80 with E-ZPass or
$153.25 cash. With the new rate applied, a full-length trip becomes
$141.93 with E-ZPass or $168.57 in cash. About 1.2 million vehicles use
E-ZPass on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Officials say the 2011 toll
schedule is an incentive for more drivers to use electronic system,
which is available in 14 Northeast states. ...

Delaware bill would implement driving ban
during emergencies

Snowstorms that make travel in Delaware a hairy ordeal could soon
result in hefty fines for truckers and other drivers braving the
roadways. A bill on its way to Gov. Jack Markell's desk for his
signature creates a three-tier system to curb drivers when heavy snow
falls in the state. House lawmakers unanimously approved the bill a
week after the Senate voted 21-0 in favor of it. ... The final tier
would be an all-out driving ban. Only essential personnel, such as
first responders and snowplow operators, would be allowed to brave
roadways. Offenders of the second and third tiers would face up to $115
fines. Repeat offenders would need to pay up to $200 with the
possibility of spending between 10 and 30 days in the clink. ...

California bill clears path for toll lanes on
91 Freeway

A bill on the move in the California Assembly is intended to clear any
legal hurdles for Riverside County's project to build toll lanes on
state Route 91. The Assembly Transportation Committee unanimously
approved a bill that would allow the Riverside County Transportation
Commission to use a new way to complete major expansion on the 91
Freeway. ...

California bill would increase distracted
driving penalties

Motorists who cannot resist the lure of communicating on their cell
phone while driving down the road soon could be digging deeper into
their pockets for their indiscretion. ... Offenders would pay $50 for
breaking the rule - up from $20. Repeat offenders would face $100 fines
- double the existing $50 fine. Local county fees can result in
penalties that are more than triple the amount. ...

Another speed limiter ticket bites the dust

...An Ontario Provincial prosecutor refused to follow through on
charges against a trucker for not being "equipped with a working speed
limiting system" set at the mandated limit of 105 km/h. The lease
operator received the ticket at a MTO scale in Dryden, Ont. last
October and opted to fight the $315 fine. ... The driver claims that
the procedure did damage the computer and it had to be replaced at a
cost of $650 plus installation. ...

Frito-Lay puts all-electric truck to work

...Frito-Lay driver Jay McAughey has been delivering Sun Chips around
Mississauga in an all-electric Smith truck. The truck, designed in
Europe but manufactured in Kansas City, is the first of six that
Frito-Lay will be taking into its Canadian fleet over the next few
months. The zero-emission Smith is the largest plug-in-battery electric
truck in the world, and Frito-Lay's version has a GVW of about 16,000
lb.; a top speed of about 80 km/h (plenty for moving potato chips
around the GTA); and a range of about 160 km on a single charge. ...
Frito-Lay's Sustainability Leader Helmi Ansari says the truck will use
about $400 worth of electricity in a year; compared with the average
$10,000 worth of gas that most of their delivery trucks consume. ...

Pollution Rules Impact Idling Of Big Rigs

New rules aimed at curbing air pollution in North Carolina will limit
the time that drivers of many heavy-duty trucks and other large
vehicles can idle their engines. ... "The Division of Air Quality plans
to focus on education and outreach, and we dont plan to start assessing
fines initially. Eventually, the rule will be enforced on a
complaint-driven basis, similar to the state open-burning rule. That
is, we won't be driving around looking for violators - and we don't
have enough staff to do that - but will respond to complaints that we
receive from citizens," Mather said. ...

..."This is an exceptional piece of infrastructure -- it has a
technology that we're using that's called 'weigh-in-motion' and what it
allows for, we actually have a pad that's built right into the highway
that allows trucks to be weighed as they continue along the highway."
"So they're weighed and measured while they're at their highway speed,"
says Bond. "And you can imagine the enormous savings of time, (it's)
way more efficient for the trucker, a lot more efficient for the people
who are following those big trucks up and down the highways, but, most
importantly, there's also a significant reduction in greenhouse gases
(as the trucks don't have to gear down and stop, then start back up
again)."

States with a 2010 Tax Free Weekend

While most often thought of regarding back-to-school purchases, some
states allow sales on certain items without paying sales tax during
their tax free weekend. Assuming the state where you make purchases
allows it to be sold tax-free at this time and you need an item and the
item is sold at a good price, you can save a good bit. At least one
state allows tax-free sales on clothing, footwear and computers this
coming weekend, August 6-8. Click the link to see the list of states
that have such an event this year.

ATRI adds 3 new idling regulations to updated
list of rules

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has added three
new idling regulations to its updated listing of state and local idling
regulations on its website www.atri-online.org. ...

California bill intended to reform red-light
cam use

... Opponents of red-light cameras, including the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association, welcome efforts to rein in use of the
enforcement tool. They question the claim that cameras are solely
intended to keep people safe. OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd
Spencer says the revenue enticement for communities is obvious when
reviewing how much money the cameras generate. ...

Washington, DC, region campaign to reduce
diesel idling begins

Truck and bus drivers can be fined for up to $25,000 for violating
Virginia's 10-minute diesel idling limit, and can be fined $1,000 for
idling beyond three minutes in Washington DC. Truckers often have good
reasons to idle, and should be encouraged to purchase key-off power
technology with a carrot, rather than a stick, approach, OOIDA argues.
... "Paramount to this discussion is safety on our highways, and safety
begins with the ability of a trucker to rest," [Mike Joyce, OOIDA
legislative affairs director] said. "When it's 100 degrees outside,
it's 120 degrees in their truck. We've got to provide opportunities for
truckers to rest and comply with hours of service, and to help the
environment." ...

New Georgia law covers multiple truck issues

Truck drivers are the focus of a new Georgia law. It addresses
indemnification agreements, idling reduction and saddlemounts. ...
Another change made in Georgia law increases actual gross weight,
single axle weight, tandem axle weight, or the allowed weight on any
group of two or more axles. As is the case in 44 other states, trucks
equipped with auxiliary power units would be authorized to weigh up to
an additional 400 pounds. Supporters, including OOIDA, said the weight
exemption removes one disincentive that otherwise could keep truckers
from using APUs. They said a reduction of 400 pounds in cargo is a
factor in the loss of hauling potential and represents an economic
deterrent for using these units. ...

Truckers oppose congestion tolls on Chicago
roadways

Truckers have been paying variable rates to run Chicago area tollways
for a few years, but a new study suggests the state could implement
congestion tolls on other roadways, including some currently toll-free
lanes. The study commissioned by the Illinois Tollway Authority and the
Metropolitan Planning Council suggests that congestion pricing could be
implemented on seven miles of the existing reversible lanes on the
Kennedy Expressway. The Kennedy is part of I-90/I-94, which means any
toll scheme would have to meet federal approval. Don Schaefer,
executive vice president of the Mid-West Truckers Association, says any
toll scheme involving existing highway capacity is going to meet with
opposition. "I think they would find a ton of opposition to it, not
just from the trucking industry but from the motoring public," Schaefer
told Land Line on Wednesday, July 14. ...

Be Safe While Driving Your Truck Over July 4th
Weekend

#trucker #trucking #transportation Review tips we sent for the Memorial
Day holiday weekend. http://bit.ly/9R2ZyD

If you have news about how professional truck drivers
can save money (directly or indirectly) please submit it for
publication on our Truckers
Savings News page. (Note: We do not accept commercials or
promotional pieces, just news.)

New Money Saving Resources on our Website

These are the articles we have published (besides the
reviews above) since our last email newsletter.

We look forward to having your input because our
website is designed to help truck drivers save money.

We Answer Readers' Questions

One form on our site is specifically designated as the
place where drivers can ask questions: Ask
a Question. It was through this page that we recently
received this question and moved it to our Packing
List page:

Each link points to the form on the Tier 2 page under
which that Tier 3 page is grouped. For example, if you have a different
opinion about one of our fuel island, restaurant or shower reviews, you
can submit your own through the form on our truck
stop page.

How Can We Better Serve You?

Is there a burning question that you have about how to
save money on the road?

Have you been burned financially on the road and --
although it may have been a bit embarrassing -- you wish that you could
warn other drivers not to repeat your specific experience?
(Remember, we have shared some of our bone-headed mistakes on our site,
so it's not like you'll be the first.)

If the number of unsolicited testimonials we receive is
any indication of the positive impact we're having in professional
truck drivers' lives, we think that we've struck a nerve.

We're not paid to give a positive or negative review of
anything -- and wouldn't accept a bribe even if one was offered.
(There's an old saying that we desire to always observe: not to distort
justice, not be partial, and not take a bribe -- because a bribe blinds
one's eyes.)

If you believe that our website, our news feed or our
email newsletter is valuable, would you please share it with a fellow
truck driver or those related to truckers? We surely would appreciate
it -- and we believe they will, too.